


Divine Blessing

by Kireizaki



Category: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai | Haganai
Genre: Dumbasses who try to do their best for each other, Genderbending, Manga & Anime, Nuns, Other, Transformation, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 11:04:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21160631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kireizaki/pseuds/Kireizaki
Summary: An anxious, lonely student only ever eats on his school's roof, knowing that nobody will talk to him besides Takayama Maria, a prodigious, unbearably annoying teacher and nun who just so happens to be 10-years old. Though the two of them bicker constantly, they both know deep down that the only friends they have are each other. When an argument goes a little too far, however, Maria storms off angrily, dropping a treasured pendant of hers. Guilt-ridden over what he's done but determined to give the pendant back to her, he picks it up, and finds himself changed in a way that brings the two of them closer together than they ever could have imagined.





	Divine Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published on DeviantArt on July 27, 2018.
> 
> I'm slowly working through much of my library of work and getting them reposted on here until everything can be published on both sites concurrently. Please excuse any roughness in my writing, as I've developed a great deal since then!

Keita lazily flicked through his phone, aimlessly scrubbing through dozens upon dozens of social media posts that just annoyed him and news pieces that he just didn’t have the energy to read through. Not while he was trying to enjoy himself, anyway. He wasn’t sure why he bothered keeping up with social media at all at this point. He had next to no friends and none of the people he followed led lives he was even the slightest bit interested in keeping up with. Everyone on there was so...shiny, living such perfectly content lives that Keita considered thoroughly empty, not realizing just how much he was projecting entirely out of his own desperate desire to find similar happiness. Things could’ve been better if he could work up the nerve to try and socialize, of course. After all, he was the one who, while everyone around him was chatting happily, deliberately ignored anyone who might’ve given him the time of day and instead chose to come up to the school’s roof to eat lunch entirely by himself. He told himself he wasn’t really to blame, that people just made themselves way too hard to get along with, but, then again, he was always far too paralyzed by anxiety to make much more than a cursory effort to find friends.

He sighed, taking a bite out of his melon bread. He didn’t know why he was giving it any thought at all, really. All that did was dampen his already low mood further. Still at least he knew that, soon enough, someone would come by and-

“HEY! I’ve told you a million times, you can’t come up here, dummy! Students aren’t allowed on the roof without a teacher’s permission!”

-Finally break him out of his listlessness.

“Ohhhh? That so? Y’know, I wish a teacher would tell me that! All I get it some dumb little brat who, for all I know, might be playing some kind of prank! Ah, if only someone could get some official word on all of this!” he smirked, teasing the girl who was glaring daggers right at him, watching her face twist into an increasingly furious expression.

“Sh-shut up, poopy head! I AM a teacher! You’re just jealous of how much smarter I am than you, duuuuummy!” she cried out, sticking out her tongue.

Despite being little more than a scrawny, silver-haired child, Maria Takayama, the girl yelling at Keita, wasn’t lying. She did, in fact, work at St. Chronica’s Academy and was a teacher. She was even dressed in the nun’s habit, flaring out her hips like a skirt, that all the other teachers wore. What was more baffling was that she was one of the most respected teachers on the staff. It was not, however, because she possessed a calm, adult demeanor.

“Hmmm...y’know, it’d sure be impressive if some little runt who was barely half my height was a teacher, but that’d never happen. That’s just too ridiculous!” he shouted, his tone growing increasingly condescending. “Besides, there’s no way anyone could respect a teacher who talks like you! Yup, you’re just a brat through and through, no matter what you might say!” He smirked, doing his absolute best to get the girl as riled up as possible, smugly satisfied by how incredibly well it was working.

“I-I’m super duper respected, idiot! I’m a genius and you’re just...just a big...stupid...” She trailed off as she tried to think of a more mature insult, frowning heavily when nothing came to mind.

“Awww, someone getting all tuckered out? Bedtime already, brat? Come take a seat by Big Bro Keita, hmm? I’ll get you a glass of warm milk and you’ll fall asleep in no time!”

Maria couldn’t even think of an adequate response, stamping her feet and yelling indistinctly, calling Keita all manner of childish, stupid names until she finally managed to take a deep breath and calm herself down.

“Ahaha! I’ve never seen you get *that* pissed off, Maria! I’m getting better at this!” He smiled, somehow satisfied despite the fact that, really, all he’d done was upset a 10-year-old.

“That’s Ms. Takayama to you, Keita! I can use your first name because I’m a genius and a teacher, you can’t use mine because you’re just an idiot student!” she gloated, putting her hands on her hips and smiling broadly, just as proud as Keita seemed to be.

Despite their frequent shouting matches, Keita didn’t dislike Maria. She was bratty and rude, sure, which coupled with her admittedly very high level of intelligence to make her almost impossible for most people to approach, but...Keita almost felt some degree of kinship in that. They were both complete outcasts, but at least they could talk to each other, even if it was almost entirely childish yelling. At the very least, she sure kept lunch lively, coming up to the roof every single day to scold him for his frequent rule breaking. Were it any other teacher chewing him out, Keita likely would’ve stopped eating here ages ago, but considering Maria still hadn’t actually done anything serious to punish him, he figured she was mostly coming up here for the company at this point. Still, he liked teasing her too much to ever want to stop.

“Awww, that’s too bad! Y’know, being the idiot moron I am, I actually bought an extra melon bread today! I was thinking I could give it to you, since it’s way too much for me to eat by myself, but maybe I should just go ahead and have it anyway, hmm? A genius like you might get a tummyache from just one of these things, but idiots don’t get sick, right? So it should be safe! This’ll be my third today!” he said, pulling open the packaging with a cocky grin on his face.

“H-hey! C’mon, it doesn’t matter how dumb you are, if you eat too much, you’ll get super full and feel awful! So give it here!” she demanded, practically drooling at the mere sight of food that could end up hers.

“Hmmm, what’s that? That sounds like genius talk to me. I’m just too dumb to get it!” he said picking the bread up and holding it in front of his mouth.

“I-I was wrong, OK? You’re not an idiot or anything, you...you should be able to understand what I’m saying perfectly! Language doesn’t work like that!”

“I still don’t understand, everything you’re saying is just soooo complicated! But...oh, I get it!”

“You...you get it?”

“Yeah! I’m not smart enough to understand genius talk, but you understand idiot speak perfectly, right?”

“I...guess so…” she frowned, unsure of where Keita was going with any of this.

“Then you must be an idiot too, Maria! Oh, that’s great! You can eat this, after all!”

“I’m...I’m not! I’m a genius!”

“Awww, guess I was wrong, my dumb instincts led me astray! Maybe if you told me you were as dumb as me though, I could give it to you.” he teased.

“I-I…” she stammered, blushing furiously.

“C’mon! Tell me exactly how dumb you are!”

“But…”

“Otherwise I’ll eat it myself!”

As obvious as his teasing was now, Maria wouldn’t let it sit. She just couldn’t pass up free food. So she sucked up her pride…

“I’m a dumb poopy head idiot!” And quickly insulted herself, grabbing the food from Keita’s hands and munching on it with a huge frown on her face.

“Ahaha, perfect! No more lording that genius stuff over me, got it? I know exactly where you stand now.”

“W-well…” she started, muttering under her breath, “you’re just some loner freak.”

Keita’s smile vanished at that, his good mood completely disintegrating under Maria’s surprisingly harsh remark. She was a child, just a little brat, but it still ate at him. For as much as he tried to push it aside, his loneliness ate at him every single day, and having anyone call him something like that just...brought him to a halt. “What...what’d you just say?” he asked, his voice low and heavy.

“I...well…” she stammered, taken aback by how serious he now looked. Still, he got her annoyed all the time, so surely she could do the same for a change, right? “I said you’re a loner! Nobody ever wants to spend time with you because you’re just a dumb jerk! You litter, you act all gross and rude, and...and you keep coming up to the roof even though it’s against the rules!”

“Go away,” he replied flatly, not even looking at her.

“Huh?”

“I told you to leave, Maria. I don’t want you here anymore.”

“I-I was just-”

“Lemme ask you something? If it’s against the rules, why the hell do you keep coming up here?! You keep giving me crap just for finding the one place in school where I don’t feel excluded, meanwhile you always look so friggin’ miserable and lonely yourself! You never report me, either, so clearly something’s up, right? You don’t care that I’m breaking rules, you never did. You’re just looking for a friend because deep down, you’re just as much of a ‘loner freak’ as me!”

“K-Keita, I…” She looked worried, unsure of herself, like...well, a child being scolded, all of their usual playfulness having left the both of them, before her eyes began to well up. “Don’t swear, dummy! It’s...it’s against the rules too!” She turned, bolting for the stairwell with tears in her eyes, not noticing at all as something small and shiny slipped from her neck, gently clinking against the floor. “I’m...I’m really gonna get rid of you this time! I hope I never have to see you ever again!” she wailed, turning around to face him before starting to run once more.

“Maria!” he shouted, hoping his voice would reach her, but knowing that even if it did, she wouldn’t care enough to come back.

“Great, nice going, dumbass. You made a kid cry...” he grumbled to himself, wallowing in his own self-pity for a few moments before mustering up the will to say anything more.

“She...she’s just lonely. She doesn’t know how to act around other people. I...I shouldn’t give her a hard time for that…”

“I was her only friend, too. Hell, she was my only friend…” he said, picking himself off the ground and walking over to the stairwell, the roof suddenly feeling far less pleasant than usual. “She’ll...come back soon, right? I can apologize to her then, I’m- huh?” He cut himself off as his foot kicked against something on the floor, watching as a small golden key flew about a foot before clinking against the ground once more.

“This is…”

He picked up the small key, turning it over in his hand.

“Dammit, that’s hers, isn’t it?!” he yelled out, immediately recognizing it as the pendant Maria always kept around her neck. “I’ve...I’ve gotta go give this back to her. Maybe it’ll cheer her up,” he said, slipping it into his pocket and starting to run to the door.

As he crossed the roof, though, he suddenly felt like it was taking him much longer than it should have, like his legs were covering less distance than usual until he suddenly felt something underneath his foot. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he lost his footing, slipping and tumbling forward, practically doing a somersault as he skidded to a stop on his butt.

“Shit!” he yelled out, not even caring about Maria’s scolding for swearing, reaching behind him and rubbing at his butt, feeling the sting in his tailbone through his whole body. As he looked down, though, his anger at himself faded to confusion, seeing that the cause for his fall were the pants that were now torn and frayed, bunched up under the heels of his shoes.

“Dammit! What the hell happened? Did my belt break or something?” he wondered, quickly checking to see that, no, his belt was clearly fastened, his pants fitting him more or less as they always had. But then, how had he managed to trip over his pants? He was so preoccupied in what was happening, thinking about how Maria would probably give him an earful over how scuffed and torn his pants were, that he didn’t even notice that the key he’d pocketed had fallen out in his tumble, and was now resting by his side.

“Nothing seems broken here,” he said, as he finished rubbing his legs, bending them one last time to make sure no sudden, sharp pain hit. He could tell, though, that his feet were a problem, noticing that they felt oddly cramped within his shoes. After rolling his ankles a couple of times, he carefully slipped off his shoes, a bit alarmed at how easy they came off, and pulled off socks that were practically drooping to see…

“What the hell?!”

...A pair of much, much smaller feet than he was used to seeing. As much as his mind screamed at him that what he was seeing was impossible, that bodies didn’t just change that suddenly, he couldn’t deny the fact that his feet were now...petite. He ran his hands along them, bracing himself to feel something broken but only feeling soft, smooth skin that looked markedly different from the rest of him. They seemed fairer and more pink, giving a feminine impression that was hard to shake considering how small and slender his toes now were, and just how much slimmer his feet were.

“H-how is any of this possible? Am I...am I shrinking or something? There’s no way that can happen, right?!” he cried out, leaning forward to roll up the legs of his pants, wondering if the rest of his legs were like that too. He let out a sigh of relief in seeing that, as far as he could tell, everything was the same above his ankles, but then his heart caught in his throat as he saw all the hair that coated his calves suddenly melt away, vanishing as though it were never there to begin with. The air felt cooler against his bare skin, and he was still dumbfounded, searching for any words, as the same complexion that coated his feet started making his way up his calves.

“H-holy shit! Th-there’s no way this is real!” he yelled out, feeling as his calves started to tense up just as his feet had earlier. He watched as they became more slender, but, somehow, a bit more toned, as though they were more used to walking than he was, their firmness covered up by smooth, soft skin that looked so supple as his calves finally eased up. “Th-they kinda look...a-ahaha, no way, that’s ridiculous. I mean, they’re all smooth and soft, but… Shit, they are kind of nice, aren’t they? Oh...oh no, it’s just gonna keep doing this, isn’t it?!” he cried, fumbling to undo his belt and crawling back out of his pants just in time to see that, indeed, his thighs were also completely bare, getting painted over in the same fair, pink skin as the rest of his legs.

“W-wow…” he breathed, feeling his thighs tingle as they started to fill with a gentle, delicate fat that made them round and, relative to his slender calves, captivatingly round. His skin looked even more wonderful, something about the size and shape of his thighs making it seems as though the skin shined, leaving the impression that they were almost… “J-juicy… I-I mean, th-they’re kind of… They’re plump…” he mumbled, running his hands along them and shivering, not just because they felt so strange and unfamiliar, but because they felt good. They were full and meaty, yielding just enough under his touch without being fat or flabby.

With an almost morbid curiosity, he rose to his feet, stumbling a little before finding his balance, and looked down at his legs. It was strange, the contrast between how rough and masculine the top of his body looked and how feminine and slender his legs were, but he tuned that out, focusing entirely on his calves and thighs. “They really are something else… Damn, these legs are kinda hot...” he murmured, reaching a hand down to his thigh and squeezing his fingers into it, fighting back the wonder that bubbled up from his heart, asking if all girls’ bodies felt this good. He wasn’t ready for the implications of that question, no matter how much he found himself being turned on by his own legs.

As he wrestled with the feelings inside of him, he felt his underwear start to tighten, feeling his briefs biting into his butt. “Y-you’re going that far up?!” he yelled, suddenly pulled out of his fantasizing as his underwears started to stretch and strain from the task of containing his burgeoning butt, before giving in entirely and ripping straight down the middle, exposing a pair of round, squishy, pale cheeks to the cool breeze on the roof. Reaching to tear of the remaining tatters, throwing his dignity to the wind, his hands couldn’t help push against the soft, supple flesh. He felt it squish beneath his fingertips and was shocked by how...good it all felt to him, how wonderfully full and feminine it had become. Before he’d even realized what he was doing, he’d completely let his curiosity get the better of him, giving it a cursory squeeze that soon turned more wanting and desperate. His grip grew firmer as he toyed with it, kneading it like dough, before giving it a quick slap, letting out a load, high moan of pleasure as it gently jiggled. He couldn’t help but laugh, not sure where the feeling came from, chuckling heartily as his butt settled back. He sighed happily before letting out a gasp, it suddenly hitting him just how...girlish his voice had sounded, clutching at his throat and rubbing it gently, his eyes widening in shock at how slender his neck felt.

“Y-you’re shitting me…That’s...that’s not...oh god, everything about me’s changing, isn’t it?” he asked, though the undeniably girlish, high voice, its femininity not dulled in the slightest by his coarse, harsh language, gave him all the answer he needed about how far all of this would go, and what the endpoint of everything was. “I’m gonna...gonna be a girl, huh? And...judging by...shit, everything, I’m gonna be kinda sexy, aren’t I?” He was unaware, as he spoke, of his face’s softening features, the way his lips, which he was unknowingly curling into a lazy, satisfied smirk, filled out and turned a soft pink, or the way his dark eyes brightened considerably, taking on a rich turquoise color as they widened, growing more expressive and reflecting his burgeoning excitement. If he’d looked in a mirror, he might’ve had a better idea of what exactly to expect from these changes, but for now, he knew he was becoming a woman, a sexy one at that, and the thought...honestly didn’t bother her in the slightest, her earlier distress beginning to completely fade away as she realized she was about to escape a life filled with loneliness.

“OK, I’ll roll with it! Wasn’t really expecting anything like this...well, ever, but, guess I can’t complain with the results so far!” She grinned, chuckling to herself and giving her butt another light slap as the rest of her face began to shift and change without her realizing it. Her cheeks softened and got just a hint of roundness while her chin steadily grew cuter and less prominent, the harsh angles of her face giving way completely to a gentle femininity. Meanwhile, her eyebrows thinned out, shaping themselves into neatly plucked arches and lightening a great deal until they were a sleek, pale silver color that then slowly began to seep into her hair. Surprisingly, what finally ended up alerting her that something was happening to her face was an odd, itchy sensation below her left eye, which she instinctively tried to scratch away, feeling a small bump that, despite her best efforts, didn’t seem to want to leave at all, stinging as her scratching grew increasingly harsh.

“Ow ow ow! Shit, got it, no scratching!” she grumbled, reaching down into the pocket of the pants she’d left on the ground and pulling out her phone, pleased to find that it had only been slightly scuffed in the fall. “Let’s see…” she muttered, turning on the camera.

Her jaw dropped immediately.

“M-Maria?! Why...why do I look like that brat?!” she cried out, poking at her now pale, delicate skin and grabbing at her bangs, finding that they were now light silver, with a faint trace of lavender that she’d never seen on anyone but the girl she’d just argued with. As she held the hair in her hand, it started to grow, poking out the end of her grasp while the rest grew even more, spilling down with a few errant, silk strands creeping inside her fairly loose shirt. They tickled her body as they grew longer and longer, stopping only once they had reached the middle of her back. A part of her loved that hair, how it shone in the midday sun, how soft and luxurious it felt to the touch, how it so delicately framed her mature features. Another, much louder part, however, bubbled to the forefront of her mind instead.

“Is this some kind of friggin’ punishment?! You’re making me into her?! N-no way, that’s just...that’s not happening!” she cried out, determined not to wallow in a potential outcome that she was sure wasn’t going to come true. “I’m a little like her, for sure, but...my eyes are darker, yeah! And she doesn’t have this!” she yelled, pointing at the beauty spot that she’d scratched at earlier. “Yup! She’s just a little runt, I’m a mature, sexy beauty! I look older, too! Gotta be...what, 20 at least, right? Lucky me! I never have to worry about school again!” she said, smirking as she gazed at her face giddily, her brashness easily overriding the worry she’d been feeling, though her still incredibly crude, highly immature mannerisms didn’t match the sexy, adult image she’d built up in her mind at all, not that she realized that, of course. She was never given the chance to think about that disconnect, though, as a cramped feeling built up in her shoulders, her grin broadening as her frame narrowed down to a far more womanly size. Her shirt started hanging on her frame, the sleeves looking increasingly loose and baggy, engulfing her hands in no time at all.

Putting her phone down on the ground as carefully as she could, she started to roll up her sleeves, just in time to watch as her now fair arms lost their usual bulkiness, growing lithe and slender, while her hands cracked and shifted, her palm looking so much cuter and smaller while her fingers, by contrast, seemed to lengthen, growing slender and elegant. Her nails got a touch longer and took on a delicate curved shape, glistening in the sunlight as if they’d just been tipped with a light layer of polish.

“Yup! These are totally different, all adult, nothing like Maria’s grubby little hands.” She smirked, all too excited to see the rest of her change, confident that, despite their similar features, she wasn’t becoming anything like Maria, at least...not in the ways that counted. Which, in Keita’s mind, pretty much entirely meant that she wasn’t becoming a bratty kid. She wasn’t terribly interested in flaunting the figure that she was growing increasingly proud of, but just knowing she was sexy, knowing she could feel good about her own body like that, made Keita remarkably happy.

Her stomach, then, began to gurgle, feeling just a little...off in a way she couldn’t really describe, but she was certain it had something to do with the changes affecting her body. She lifted her shirt just a little and caught a glimpse of her pale belly flattening out, curving delicately from her wide, luscious hips and cinching in at the waist, giving her a taut, sexy midsection that felt incredible beneath her fingertips.

“Ooh, looks like just about everything’s changed on me, huh? Yup, I’m gonna be looking pretty good after all this!” she said, laughing gently to herself.”Still need some tits, though, yeah? Can’t wait, bet I’m gonna be stacked!” she cried out excitedly as, right on cue, a pleasant warmth started to spread out from her chest, tingling as her nipples began to stiffen and rub against the fabric of her shirt, which had started to feel rough and scratchy against her much softer, more delicate skin.

“Bingo! Hmmm… Eh, nobody’s coming up here anyway, and I kiiiiinda don’t wanna miss this, so I’ll just go for it!!” She grinned, tearing off her shirt with ease and tossing it to the ground, looking down to see her nipples puff up, an adorably pink color spreading through them, completely engulfing her areolae. Grabbing firmly at her slowly swelling chest, she couldn’t help but let out a small, surprised moan at how...sensitive it was, her mere touch sending a pleasurable pulse rushing through her body, her knees buckling under the heat of her arousal as her breasts swelled within her grasp. “Damn...these really are something…” she breathed. Her soft, supple flesh pushed firmly against her palms, soon reaching a volume that saw them practically spilling out of her hands, forcing Keita to heft them up, letting her feel exactly how heavy they were becoming, before she let go of them with an amused, lusty giggle, feeling them bounce before resting comfortably against her abdomen, and watching them gently rise and fall with every breath she took. “Wow, that’s a hell of a rack! Probably gets pretty sweaty during the summer, but, eh, what can ya do! Just the cost of looking this good, I suppose,” she said with a smirk.

Keita let out an amused little gasp as she felt her crotch start to tingle, a pleasant sensation spreading from the tip and working its way down, growing warmer as it went, until it was crawling it’s way up deep up inside of her belly. “Oooh, there we go, “ she said, noticing herself stiffening, twitching as a flush entered her face. “Aww, you want one last hurrah, huh little guy? Mmm...I guess I could really go for it,” she said, tracing herself and sending a shiver through her body, “but, damn, that seems like a lot of effort for a part of me that won’t be here much longer. Hahaha, sorry, buddy. We’ve had a lot of fun, but them’s the breaks!”

She chuckled to herself as she started to shrink, becoming no less flaccid as a gentle, arousing sensation pressed down against her crotch. She started to feel a light, fluttery feeling in her stomach, and, in no time at all, she was no longer able to see what was happening to her, her view obscured by her chest. “Damn…guess there’s a downside to these puppies after all, huh? Ah well, I’m not in that much of a hurry to see what’s going on,” she purred, her breath getting hot and heavy as she felt better and better, “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to get to know my body.”

Feeling the thighs she’d loved so much start to quiver, she steadied herself against the building, leaning her back against hard, cold concrete for support. “Whew...or maybe I won’t, not if it’s always this intense! I’m not even touching myself and I feel exhausted. It’s good, but, hah, I almost want a nap…” she panted, trying her best to stay upright as her eyelids started to droop and her head lolled about against her shoulders. She practically squeaked, her whole body shuddering for a second, the heat she felt flaring intensely before slowly starting to fade.

“Mmnh...shit, that was it, huh? Definitely felt pretty good,” she said, pulling herself off the wall before walking forward on shaky legs. She stopped after a few steps, though, her face screwing up into a look of near-disgust, then reached a hand down between her thighs, wiping at them. “Ah, jeez, that stuff feels weird dripping like that,” she groaned, bending slightly as she patted down her thighs, holding her hands out in front of her when she was done. “Crap...eh, these’ll do. Not like I can wear ‘em anymore.” Keita reached down the torn underwear she’d hastily discarded, wiping her hands with them, but making sure to only use the outside. She was, after all, a lady.

“There we go,” she said, tossing the underwear-turned-washcloth behind her and striking her hands against each other. “Alright...shit, what was it I was doing?” She frowned, looking down at the rest of her clothes, until something bright flashed into her eyes, causing her close them and turn away. “Right,” she mumbled, squinting as she reached down and wrapped her hand around something long and cold, “I was gonna give this back to that brat.” She held it in her hand, looking down at it in her palm and then at the door leading back into the school. “Can’t exactly do it like this though, huh? Ah well, who cares? I don’t really feel like tossing on those old rags, and It’s not like I’ve got classes to attend anymore. I’ll just wait things out until it’s safe, I guess.” She didn’t really know when that would be, but, as it turned out, she didn’t have much time to ponder the current situation, the door to the stairwell suddenly clicking open, but she simply stood there, doing nothing to hide herself from whoever was about to see her naked.

“Ah, Maria! I was hoping I’d run into ya! Feeling any better?” Keita grinned, staring down at the much smaller girl as she emerged onto the roof, her worried, irritated expression growing increasingly flustered as she looked up and saw her there.

“I-It’s a pervert! Someone hel-” she shouted out, trying to run back into the stairwell before Keita grabbed her, wrapping an arm around her waist and clamping her free hand over her mouth.

“MA. RI. A. I don’t need that right now, got it?!” she asked, scowling at the girl, who simply continued yelling uselessly into her hand. “Yeah yeah, that’s not gonna get you anywhere, brat. I need to talk to you, so do me a favor and keep it down, will you? Promise me you won’t try to run or shout?”

Maria just kept shouting.

“Huh?! You’ll have to make things a little more clear, runt! Nod if you agree, got that?”

She yelled for a while longer, Keita simply letting out a long, heavy sigh as she waited impatiently until finally, she quietened down, seemingly out of breath.

“Good, good. Got it all out of your system, I hope. Now I’m gonna ask again, are you going to act like the teacher you supposedly are and talk to me calmly?”

Maria stood still for a moment, before nodding slowly. Smiling, Keita loosened her grip on her waist, before gently pulling her hand away from Maria’s mouth.

“Great! We’re getting somewhere, now-”

“Pervert! Pervert kidnap-” Maria shouted out the second Keita’s hands were off her, only to find herself quickly silenced once more, Keita grabbing her again and holding tighter this time, her large breasts smushing into the girl’s back.

“Listen, runt, I can do this all day if that’s how you wanna go about things, but I think we’d both prefer it if we got this all sorted out quickly. I’m not a kidnapper, I’m not gonna even think about hurting you, and, despite how things look, I’m not a pervert. That’s a pretty crappy way to judge a girl just because she’s nude, y’know, but I’ll excuse your brattiness this time if you just...keep it down.”

Maria started to fall silent once more, apparently feeling at least a little more reassured.

“I’ve got that key you’re looking for, by the way. The one you keep around your neck.” Maria shot up at the mention of the key, before quieting down once more, apparently realizing that shouting was pointless.“It fell off when you ran away earlier. I was gonna try find you and give it back when it got a little darker. I don’t really care if people look at me, but, well, getting stares from every student here might be a bit much, even for me.”

“I’m gonna give it to you, I promise, but I need to talk to you first, it’s been a big day. So I’m gonna ask you again, can you stay calm and not run away?”

Maria nodded without a second thought. It seemed that, no matter how strange Keita seemed to be, if she could get her key back, she could put up with her.

“Finally…” Keita sighed, letting go of her yet again, pleased to see Maria spin around to face her, frowning heavily.

“I’ll talk to you, you dumb...poopy head! But you’re still a weirdo freak, sitting around naked like this…”

“Jeez, you really do need to learn how to talk to people, brat.”

“Y-you keep speaking like you know me, but I’ve never seen you before in my life! Who are you, and why do you look...kinda like me…?” she yelled, trailing off as she realized just how similar the two of them looked, her features almost a dead-on match for Maria’s own.

“Hell if I know! I sure didn’t before I picked up this crappy key of yours. If the thing’s so important to you, maybe you should be more careful next time you decide to throw a tantrum and storm off after being a jerk in an argument and make sure it doesn’t fall off again!”

“Eh? I wasn’t here arguing with you, you poopy pervert! I was arguing with that dumb idiot, Keita!”

“Watch it, moron! After all,” she smirked, “I’ve got it on good authority that you’re a ‘dumb poopy head idiot,’ isn’t that right? Did you enjoy the bread, brat?”

“K-K...Keita?!” she asked, utterly frozen in place.

“Bingo! Maybe you aren’t as dumb as you said you are, Maria! But look, I’m...not exactly asking to change back, but tell me what you did.”

“What...what I did?” she asked, too taken aback to really question anything else that she’d just heard.

“Yeah, come on! All of this started as soon as I picked up that stupid key to give it back to you. There must have been something you did to it, right? I get it, you didn’t lose it at all, did you? You let it fall off to trick me!”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, “Maria said, genuinely confused, before a smug, satisfied grin snapped onto her face. “Hmph! It must have been a divine punishment for bullying a nun and all the swearing you did!”

“You were being a brat, idiot!” she argued, clearly not caring if being mean to a nun really did have something to do with her current predicament.

“Ahahaha! You teased me, and now you’ve turned into me if I was a gross old hag! That’s just perfect! Guess you should’ve just given me that melon bread in the first place, dummy! Maybe then you could’ve kept your stupid ugly body! Not that it’d be worth it, even if you’re all old, you look much better now!”

“Ma~ri~a~” she started, forcing out the most cutesy voice she possibly could, “Oh dear, sweet, precious Maria…” She put a hand on Maria’s shoulder, smiling broadly at her.

“Y-yeah, what is it? You’re being creepy, Keita…”

“Oh no no no, silly! I’ve just realized something incredible!”

“Wh-what’s that?”

“This isn’t a punishment! There’s no way it could be! No, Maria...” She dropped her voice, her smile turning into a devilish smirk. “It’s a blessing, brat!” she shouted, gesturing at herself. “See? I’ve become so sexy, haven’t I? What’s that you said, I’m a ‘hag?’ Harsh words from a runt who probably just got out of diapers!”

“Nuh-uh! You’re just a dumb old senile hag who-”

“Who just got a wonderful younger sister, isn’t that right, brat? Uh-huh, that’s right! I’m your older sister Kate Takayama, just transferred in to work at St. Chronica’s Academy and be with my wonderful genius of a little sister! No matter how smart she is, she’s just waaaaay too immature to take care of herself, after all!” Kate cried out gleefully.

“N-no way, dummy! You can take care of yourself, I don’t have to do a thing for you! Nobody would believe we’re sisters anyway!”

“No? So you’d leave a poor lost soul all alone? Y’know, there’s no way I can go back home looking like this. There’s no way my family would recognize me! That’d be so cruel, wouldn’t it? Imagine going to bed tonight thinking about little ol’ me, without anything to my name! I don’t have a home, a family, or hell, even any clothes!”

“B-but…”

“And we really do look just like sisters, y’know. They give you a dorm here to stay in, don’t they? Isn’t that rough, having to live in a tiny, cramped room like that?”

“Y-yeah, I...I have enough money to get an apartment…”

“Ooh, you’re loaded, huh? Must pay to be a genius!”

“Mmm...but everyone says I’m too young to stay on my own… Dumb poopy jerks.”

“Well that’s perfect! If you tell the staff about me, maybe convince them to give me a job here, just think about how great things’ll go for you! With me around, we can move into a fancy apartment together and live all on our own! I’ll have you know I’m a decent cook, plus, since I’m an adult, I can do alllll sorts of things kids like you aren’t allowed to even think about! I can buy so, so much melon bread, Maria! Nobody’ll scold me for it, and I can give all of it to you!”

Maria started to drool slightly at that, her eyes lighting up at all the wonderful benefits having an older sister around could bring her.

“After all, isn’t it the right thing to do, helping out others in need.”

“F-fine!” Maria crossed her arms in a huff. “I’ll go tell the principal that you just got here, b-but you’d better give me sweets every day!”

“Ahaha, OK, brat! Sounds good to me!” she replied, quickly wiping off her mouth, trying to hide the fact that the idea of eating so luxuriously had gotten her drooling, too. “But do me one more favor, first?”

“What is it?”

“I really need some clothes.”

Maria turned bright red at that, apparently only just remembering that Kate had been naked this entire time. She turned and faced the door to the stairwell immediately, cracking open the door before quickly turning back to face Kate, holding out her hand and grumbling something under her breath.

“You’re gonna have to speak up, runt.”

“...Key” she mumbled.

“Huh?! Speak up, runt! Sounds like you want your key back, but I can’t hear you beneath all that dumb brattiness!”

She glared at her sudden new sister, “I...I want my key back!”

“Well then ask nicely, dammit!” Kate spat back, clutching the key tightly.

“H-hey! Stop swearing, hag!”

“Ohhh, I get it? That must be it! I’m so much of a hag that I couldn’t hear you saying ‘Please may I have my key back, onee-sama’ right? Yeah, that’s gotta be it! So say it louder for me and I’ll give it back!” she said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling smugly.

“B-but-”

“Remember, that’s pronounced ‘onee-sama,’ not ‘hag’!” she adopted a forced cutesy tone once more, quickly giving Maria a glimpse of the key before holding her hand behind her back.

“O-Onee-sama...I…”

“Hmm, speak up~!”

“M-may I please have my key back, onee-sama?!” she blurted out, blushing bright red.

“Ahaha, very good, Maria! I hope you’ll keep being so very, very polite!”

Kate held out the key for Maria, who hastily snatched it out of her hand, running off and yelling, “You’re still a poopy freckle-faced idiot!”

“That’s ‘onee-sama,’ brat! And it’s a beauty mark!” Kate shouted back, receiving no response.

“She really, really needs to learn how to deal with others…” She mumbled, the irony completely lost on her.

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for Maria to return, a bundle of clothing held in her arms.

“What on earth is this?” Kate asked, a confused expression on her face as she took the clothes from the smaller girl.

“It’s a habit, dummy! Even you should be smart enough to realize that!”

“I know what it is, but you don’t have anything more...normal?”

“Hey! Nuns’ habits are pure and beautiful! I wear one almost every day, and I look super cute!” Maria boasted proudly, putting a hand on her chest and smiling.

“Yeah yeah, it’s a start, at least,” Kate said as she started getting dressed, barely even raising an eyebrow at the thin, lacy underwear she’d been given. Thankfully, the bra fit her perfectly, cradling her boobs comfortably and making her chest look even bigger than it already was. The panties, however, seemed just a little tight, wedging in her prominent butt, though she ignored that for the time being, slipping the rest of the habit on without much fuss, as well as a pair of boots in the same navy blue color scheme. She even went as far as to put on the headpiece she’d been supplied, figuring that if she was dressing like this, she might as well go all the way.

“A dumb hag like you wouldn’t look nice in anything, but at least it makes you seem a little more pure and nice,” Maria nodded sagely.

Kate just smirked. “Mmm, I agree, I do look good in this, don’t I? Yup, I really do! Who knew that this thing was so short, huh? It’s showing off my ass so nicely!” she said, giving it a playful slap, before scratching at it, trying to unwedge her lacy panties.

“W-what are you doing, you poopy idiot?! You can’t do that! You’re a lady, be more dignified, dummy!”

“It’s tight, runt! You basically gave me a thong! Who’s gonna care though, right? Shit, anyone who looks is just getting a free show, anyway, and- Ohhhh, I get it! You were trying to peep, huh Maria? Oooh, look at you, so young, and you’re already getting all hot and bothered around other girls! Your own sister, too, you degenerate!”

“N-no, it’s not like that, anyway. Y-you’re just an ugly hag!”

“Don’t worry, Sis! When you’re older, onee-sama’ll help you find the girl of your dreams! Is that allowed for nuns? Eh, whatever. Love transcends all that stuff!”

Kate was absolutely giddy, picking up Maria odd the ground and wrapping her up in a tight, warm hug.

“And I’m sure beginning to love you, brat! We’re gonna be the best sisters in the world, just you wait and see!”

“L-lemme down!”

“Sure thing! Just as soon as you hug me back! Oh, and call me onee-sama!”

“That’s gross, you’re being weird!”

“I’ll buy you some melon bread!”

Maria immediately complied, hugging Kate back shyly and muttering, “P-please can you put me down, onee-sama?”

“Ahaha, fine fine. We’re sisters now, got that? Gotta show people we love each other, even if you’re a brat and I’m a sexy, mature beauty.” Kate smirked, putting Maria back down on the ground.

“...Hag,” Maria muttered under her breath, dusting off her clothes.

“Runt,” Kate replied, smiling happily at the smaller girl.

~~~

Kate held up the pendant by the string she’d tied to it, watching as the key slowly spun around, glistening in the dim light of the dorm room she’d found herself temporarily residing in.

“You did all this, huh?”

The question was nonchalant, almost unfeeling. It had only been a couple of days since she’d changed, but the matter of why it had happened in the first place hadn’t really crossed her mind beyond simple curiosity.

Maybe it had been, as Maria insisted, some sort of divine punishment. Still, even with the crappy digs they currently had to share, she’d felt happier since all this had happened, filled with a confidence she’d otherwise entirely lacked. Despite her stunningly good looks, she wasn’t terribly girlish, something many people at the Academy had already scolded her for, giving her a hard time of acting without even the slightest hint of grace. She didn’t care, though. She was who she was, and their standards of femininity hardly mattered to her. So really, the idea that she was being punished by a higher power never made sense to her. She also didn’t view it as much of a blessing because, well, she never felt like she’d earned that sorta thing.

So in the end, she told herself it wasn’t really worth getting worked up over. If the key had done this, in the end, it only really functioned as proof of the bond she now shared with Maria, a prized possession of hers bringing the two of them far closer than they ever could’ve known. Kate was glad that she’d finally gotten around to mending it, noting how uneasy Maria looked whenever she left in the mornings to perform her duties without it. She was a brat, Kate was sure of that, but still, Maria was doing her such a huge favor by taking her on like this. The least she could do was fix this up for her, help her feel a little more secure. Today seemed like the perfect day for it, too, with Maria promising that she was about to finalize Kate’s position at the academy, after which the both of them would move into an apartment together, getting their new life firmly on track.

Getting up to go use the bathroom, Kate walked up to the door, before it suddenly swung open just as she before her hand touched the doorknob.

“Oh, going somewhere? Are you going to the convenience store?! Ooh, melon bread, please!”

“Start asking nicely, brat!” Kate said, tucking her hand that was clutching the pendant behind her back. “And no, I was gonna go take a leak.”

Maria stuck out her tongue “You’re so gross! Stupid hag!”

“So I’m guessing you don’t want me to get you anything from the store this evening?”

“N-never mind! Sorry onee-sama! Please get me something yummy for dinner!”

“Good girl! I’ll see what I can do, but y’know, soon as we get our own place with our own kitchen, I can cook muuuuch better stuff than what the store offers.”

“Really?! That’s perfect!” Maria beamed gleefully, handing Kate a small card. “You now work here with me! It’ll suck having to spend so much time with such an old hag, but the school’s now listing you as my guardian, so we can move out whenever we want!”

“Oh-ho! Nice going, Maria! Finally, we can get out of this shitty dorm and-” She looked down at the card in her hand, completely freezing as she read the information printed on it.

“Maria~?” she asked, smiling as cheerfully as she possibly could.

“Impressive, isn’t it? Nobody’ll ever know about where you really came from! It’s just like you’ve always been my older sister!” Maria put her hands on her hips, beaming proudly.

“Mmm~! It’s amazing! Absolutely amazing! You wanna know the most amazing part of it all?”

“Oooh, yeah! I wanna hear you finally acknowledge my genius!”

Kate knelt down in front of Maria, wearing the widest smile she possibly could, before her expression turned bitter in an instant.

“You listed me as a friggin’ kid, you moron! Nobody’s ever, ever, ever gonna believe that I,” she gestured at her body before cupping her sizable breasts firmly, “am only 15 years old! What the hell made you even think about putting that down?!”

“Don’t swear, dumb ha-”

“That’s not the point!” Kate yelled, cutting her off quickly.

Maria huffed, crossing her arms over her shoulders before grinning defiantly at Kate. “You’re suuuuuuuper old, so I said you were super old! 15’s ancient!”

“Only because you’re barely out of diapers, idiot!”

“N-nuh uh!”

“Ohhhh, so you’re still in ‘em? I thought you were more mature than that!” Kate teased, all too eager to get a jab in even if it had nothing to do with the present issue.

“Shut up, poopy hag! I’m ten! You just didn’t know what I meant because you’re already going senile!”

“If that’s the case, then why’d you make me even younger than I was, huh? How many students have you seen that look like me?! You sure won’t end up this big in five years, moron!”

“Yup, because you’re all ancient! And that’s good, I don’t wanna look like a hag!”

“I was gonna get out of going to classes, moron! I could’ve just worked and handled stuff at home! Now I’ll have way less time for all that! You get that? That’s way less time to make you any kind of food! Get used to cup ramen every night!”

“Fufufu…” Maria chuckled, grinning cockily, “ye of little faith, I thought about everything!”

“You’ve...you’ve screwed something else up, haven’t you?”

“Nope! I know you’re waaaay too dumb for those classes, so I got them to believe that you were just like me, so you’ll only have to worry about work! They’re also super stupid, so they actually think you’re a genius! I hope you can at least act like you’re smart, poopy hag!”

Kate let out a huge, relieved sigh. “Finally! That’s the first decent news you’ve given me, Maria! If they actually believe you’re a prodigy, it’s gotta be crazy easy to convince ‘em, right? That’s perfect! Having to pose as a teenager’s...annoying, but whatever, it’s a bump in the road!” she cried out happily, wrapping her arms tightly around her younger sister.

“H-hey! What are you doing?! You were mad just a second ago! Y-you’ve gone crazy, haven’t you?!”

“Nope! Just relieved you got me out of classes for life! Haha, I actually think you deserve a reward!” Kate pulled back from the hug, grinning broadly once more.

“Food?! Ooh, is it curry? Melon bread? Pudding? Something super tasty, right?”

“No, moron, even better!”

Kate opened up the hand she’d been hiding from Maria, letting the key fall down into view, the string she’d tied to it earlier hanging off of her thumb.

“My pendant!” Maria cried out, reaching out to grab at her beloved accessory before Kate pulled her hand back.

“Nuh uh uh, that’s not how we say thanks in our family, got that?”

“Hey, gimme that! You’ve only just become my family anyway, dumb hag!”

“MA! RI! A!” Kate shouted, her voice forceful and commanding. “You wanna take that again, huh?! I know you’ve got it in you, runt! Your wonderful and gorgeous onee-sama did this out of the kindness of her heart, so show a little thankfulness or there’s absolutely no way you’re getting another thing out of me ever again.”

“Y-yes onee-sama…” Maria replied softly, averting her eyes from Kate’s piercing, harsh glare. “I’m sorry I was rude, thank you so much for fixing my pendant, onee-sama.”

Kate smiled softly, placing the pendant around Maria’s neck and pulling her hair up over it, pleased to see the key resting comfortably against the smaller girl’s chest. “You’re welcome, dummy,” she said, as warmly as possible. “I know I was kinda harsh, but hey, for being so sweet about all this and getting my ID sorted out so quickly, how about we sneak off to the convenience store, hmm? I’ll let you load up on as much candy as you want.”

“Really?!” Maria asked, her eyes lighting up.

“Yup! And when we’re back, we’ll start hunting online for the coolest apartment we can find! We’ll be out of these dorms in no time at all!”

“Yaaay! Thank you so so so so so so so much, onee-sama! You’ve gotta be the best big sister ever!”

“Yeah yeah, don’t I know it? I’m not much of a hag when you’re in a good mood, am I?”

“Nope, you’re uhhh...super gorgeous and stuff!”

“Ahaha! Good start, dummy,” Kate grinned. “Let’s get going! Nobody else is around right now, so if we’re quick, we can get back here without anyone seeing what we buy, so nobody’ll scold either of us! It’ll be our own private stash! And when we move out, we won’t have to sneak food ever again!”

Maria gasped, smiling broadly. “Then let’s get an apartment quickly! Living alone with you is gonna be the best, onee-sama!”

~~~

“Maria! Get off the couch and gimme a hand, will ya?” Kate shouted out, hefting two big, heavy boxes into the living room of their new apartment.

“Nuh uh, it’s my money, so you’ve gotta do all this stuff to repay me for keeping you around!”

“Keeping me around?! I’m your big sister, idiot!”

“Even if you’re my big sister, you’re still mooching off of my genius!”

“Huh, that so? Well, y’know, a genius like you should surely be able to make her own dinner from now on, right? My food’s gonna be soooo much worse than anything you could whip up, so there’s no reason you’d wanna damage your delicate, genius palate with my swill, right?”

“I-I mean, I wouldn’t go that far…”

“Oh my! So the genius, brilliant, incredible Maria Takayama plans on gracing me with the honor of cooking for her?”

“Y-yeah! That’s what I was gonna say!”

“But you know, Maria, there’s just no way I’ll be able to cook after moving all these heavy, heavy boxes alone! I’ll never finish before dinnertime!”

“F-fine! I’ll help! But you’d better make something super incredible as thanks!” Maria shouted, hopping off the couch and rushing out the front door to grab some of the remaining boxes.

“You’re way too easy, runt…” Kate smirked, keeping her voice low. She’d have been more than OK moving this all herself, but if she was going to be Maria’s sister, there was no way she was letting her get even more rude and lazy than she already was. No, Kate decided that, no matter what, she was going to be the best older sister she could possibly be, even if it meant she’d be called a hag for the rest of her life.

With the two girls working together, even though Maria struggled to carry more than a small box at a time, the two finished their basic unpacking well ahead of schedule, both sisters smiling broadly at how incredible their apartment now looked. Even if they’d only just started to settle in, they could tell that this, more so than anywhere else either girl had lived in the past, was home. Somewhere they could finally call their own.

“Perfect! Looks pretty good already, don’tcha think?”

“Mm-hmm, definitely!” Maria cried out. “But...I’m kinda hungry...” she added, her voice dropping to a grumble.

“You always are, dummy. But hey, it’s a good time to get started on dinner anyway. I’m feeling kinda peckish, too.”

She pulled out her phone, and quickly pulled up the number she was looking for, placing a call immediately.

“Hey, what’re you-”

“Hello, I’d like to place an order!” Kate started as soon as the other end picked up her call, cutting Maria off entirely. “Yep, that’s right, for delivery! I’ll get one large meat lover’s and-”

“I thought you were gonna cook dinner tonight, dumb hag!” Maria interrupted, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry, one sec,” Kate apologized, muting her phone and turning to Maria. “So you don’t want a pizza, then? Cool, more for me! Ooh, maybe I’ll get two to celebrate our new apartment!” she teased, smirking at her younger sister.

“No, I’ll get...uhhh, beef tongue!”

“Ooh, good choice!” She grinned, before returning to her phone call, placing the rest of the order gleefully.

By the time the food had arrived and the two sat down on the couch in front of their new, very large TV, any complaints Maria had about Kate not cooking had flown out the window, but still, Kate offered a simple apology. “Sorry, Maria. I know I said I’d cook, but honestly, moving’s pretty tiring, so I figured it’d be a bit better for both of us if we just took a load off like this,” she said, taking a sip of her soda and smiling.

“It’s OK! It’s still tasty! And watching TV’s fun! I never really got to do anything like this living in those dorms! Let’s stay up all night like this!”

“Haha! Sure, why the hell not? No work tomorrow, after all!” she cried out happily, pulling her feet up onto the couch.

“You shouldn’t swear, dumb hag! But…”

“But?”

“I’ll forgive you this time!”

“Oh wow, how generous! Y’know, there’s dessert too! Picked up some pudding from the convenience store earlier and snuck it into our fridge when you weren’t looking. Didn’t want you spoiling your appetite.”

“Really?!”

“Yep! Don’t expect this kinda thing every night though, got it? I’m gonna make sure you at least grow up kinda healthy! Don’t want anyone thinking that my little sis is a slob!” she said, before letting out a loud burp, cackling loudly immediately after.

“Hey! At least try to set an example!” Maria huffed, before taking a huge bite out of her pizza, her expression quickly softening into one of total bliss.

“Ahaha! Don’t you worry about me, dummy. We’re talking about you here!”

The two bickered for a fair while longer, before Kate noticed Maria steadily getting a little quieter shortly after they’d finished up their dinner, her voice growing steadily gentler and less bratty over time. Kate looked over at her younger sister, watching as her eyes started to flutter.

“Hey dummy, why don’t you head to bed? You’re barely hanging in right now.”

“N-no! I’m fine! We’re gonna...stay up all night...and I’ve still gotta...gotta eat pudding...” Maria shouted, startling herself awake for just a moment, before she started to doze off yet again, yawning softly.

“Haha, if you insist.” Kate smiled, turning back to the TV, before she felt a soft weight slowly starting to lean on her, looking down to see Maria comfortably nestling against her chest. “Hey, Maria…” she said, gently shaking the smaller girl, “didn’t you say you were gonna have that pudding?”

“Tomorrow…” Maria mumbled, her eyes briefly fluttering open as she let out a sleepy yawn, getting as comfortable as she could against Kate’s curvy figure. “I’ll have it tomorrow, so...so don’t take it...”

“Yeah yeah, I got it,” Kate said, grabbing a blanket she’d placed next to her in case it got cold and wrapping herself and Maria up under it as best as she could without disturbing the smaller girl. “That comfy enough for you?”

“Mm-hmm…” she said, her voice lighter than Kate had ever really heard it. “G’night, sis…”

“Night, Maria. Sleep well,” Kate replied, smiling softly, before whispering, “Gosh, you’re cute when you aren’t being a little brat,” with a small giggle.

~~~

Kate smiled as she gazed at the school below her, taking a bite out of her melon bread while a light breeze blew past. It was funny how sad this view had once been to her, how she’d once come up here every day to escape her life, and how, now, all that malaise had given way to sheer contentment. She knew that today, like every day since she’d moved into her apartment, was going to be-

“HEY! Even if you work here now, you can’t just come up here to goof off all the time!”

-so, so much fun.

“Feeling lonely, genius? Came up here to spend time with your awesome big sis? I betcha did!” Kate grinned, turning to face Maria.

“Nuh-uh, poopy-headed hag! I came up here to tell you to actually do your job instead of just messing around! Look, you got crumbs all over your habit!” she yelled, hurrying over to Kate and dusting off her clothes.

“Who cares? It’s my lunch break, moron!”

“Yeah, but...but…”

“But?”

“But you’re still a stupid, ancient hag!”

“So I’ve heard! But you might wanna change your tone really quickly, ya know? Because I’ll give you half of my melon bred if you decide to be a little less of a brat!” she said, holding the bread above Maria, just high enough that she wouldn’t be able to reach it. “Now what was it you were calling me? Onee-sama, right?”

“Y-yes, onee-sama! That’s right! Can I have that now, please onee-sama?”

“Ahaha! Sure thing!” She handed Maria the bread, watching her munch on it with a giddy smile. “So, now that you’re all buttered up, what’d you really come here for?”

“I told you! I came to get you to stop being lazy and do your-”

“I don’t buy it. You can’t fool me, Maria. Besides, you don’t wanna be a liar, do you? That’s a sin, after all.”

Maria grumbled something under her breath, a faint blush beginning to spread across her cheeks, her fingers fidgeting against each other as she poorly tried to hide her embarrassment.

“I can’t hear a word you’re saying, dummy. If it’s difficult or embarrassing or whatever, you don’t have to tell me, but I’m not gonna make fun of you or anything for it, I promise.”

“I...well…” She looked Kate directly in the eyes, reaching into her pockets and pulling out a small, golden key. “I wanted to give you this!”

“Your pendant?”

“Nuh uh! It’s...it’s your own one. I’ve got mine right here,” she said, gesturing at the pendant hanging around her neck. “I got it because...we’re sisters and...well, it wouldn’t make sense if only one of us had one...”

“Maria…” Kate started, genuinely taken aback by the gesture. Maria was a good kid at heart, even if she could be more than a little bratty, but all those gripes had completely melted away in mere seconds. For the first time since everything had happened, it felt like Kate was truly being accepted as her older sister. “Thank you so much, Maria,” she said, smiling, not even trying to hide the tears she was shedding as she took the pendant and placed it around her own neck, looking down at it resting comfortably against her chest.

“Y-you’re crying?” Maria asked, shocked by how...different Kate suddenly seemed.

“Yeah, I was, dummy!” She smiled, before wiping her tears away on her sleeve. “But I’m not anymore! C’mere, runt!” she shouted happily, wrapping Maria up in a tight, warm hug, as the smaller girl squirmed in her arms.

“H-hey! You’re being all weird!”

“Yup! I’ll never stop, either! You’re gonna have to live with me being like this every single day, you got that? So hug me back, dummy!”

“N-no way! Not in a million years!”

“Well then I’ll just have to hug you tight enough for the both of us!” Kate said, squeezing her just a little harder, being careful not to hurt her. “Thank you, Maria! I know you were scared, I know it must’ve been difficult, but this means the world to me. I mean it. I love you a lot, sis!”

Maria’s squirming immediately ground to a halt, as Kate felt a pair of arms gently start to wrap around her. “L-l-love you too…” she stammered. Though Kate couldn’t see her sister’s face, she just knew that Maria must’ve turned bright red at that.

“So,” she said as she pulled away from the hug, “how about we make dinner together tonight? Something extra tasty! We’ll even get dessert!”

“You mean it?!” Maria asked, smiling happily.

“Of course I do! After all,” she held up her pendant with a smile, “we’re family!”


End file.
